


I Was Made (You Must Lose Things)

by aHostileRainbow



Series: Mostly BAMF: A Collection of Small Fries Kicking Ass (Literally or Figuratively) [12]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Bilbo Baggins, Defense of Thranduil, Dwarven Prejudice, Gen, Hypocrisy, SYH is Bagginshield FYI, Serve Your Happiness Missing Scene, Though there are no pairings even mentioned in this tiny thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9797183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aHostileRainbow/pseuds/aHostileRainbow
Summary: or Bilbo Educates the Dwarves, Again.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Serve your Happiness](https://archiveofourown.org/works/766730) by [Anchanee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anchanee/pseuds/Anchanee). 



> I was wrong. There was one more relic hiding on my phone. Have at!
> 
> P.S. If you have not read Serve Your Happiness, you should still be able to follow along. Bilbo will explain Thrain's (and thus the dwarves') terrible choices. Think Fell Winter meets dwarven arrogance. (What a terrible blind date, huh.)

Bilbo shut his eyes, drawing in a slow breath and carefully refusing to hear the strings of insults leaving dwarven mouths.

When he broke in, he made sure his tone was entirely even though firm.

"Boys. Dwalin, Balin, Thorin, all of you, sit down."

They complied, thankfully for his temper.

"Now, I am going to explain the hypocrisy of your prejudice against elves in the clearest way I know, but I require you to listen, really listen, because I never want to say these words again. Is that clear?"

Slow nods were his answer, wide eyes all focused on him now.

"Thank you. First, let me summarize: you have decided to hate all elves forevermore because one of their kings abandoned you in your time of need. Because of his neglect, some of your people died, many suffered, and the remaining are bitter with it all. Correct?"

More nods.

"Good. Now, I understand your attitude quite well and still disagree. Do you know why?"

Hesitation, good.

"This attitude is familiar to me, you see, because it was my grandfather's."

There it was. As he watched, dawning awareness and horror rose in his dwarves, but this was not a point he was willing to leave half made, so he continued, ruthless and precise.

"In our time of need, your king refused mine aid. Because of his refusal, some of our people died - " Damn that hoarseness in his throat, he could not afford to lose composure now. "Some of our people died, many suffered, and those left behind grew bitter."

He was very quiet now, and entirely unforgiving.

"Tell me then, how I am honor bound to despise your entire race for your king's decision, a decision that you did not all agree with but still allowed, and so condemned my people, your allies. Tell me how long I should hate you, insult you, for the death of my mother and my father. Tell me how I should torment and humble you as punishment for my pain, as if that will somehow make it better."

"Tell me that it is worse for an elf king, who lived through the first dragon wars and lost his own father to them, to turn his back on what he knew to be an inevitable defeat in order to protect his own people from further loss of life. Tell me that the stain on your pride after would not prevent you facing the suffering reminders of your impossible choice, however it might further dishonor you."

"Tell me that is worse than a king who is fully capable of defeating the threat to his allies in time of need but chooses not to out of arrogance. A king who dishonors himself and his people without consideration or remorse."

Choking on his own breath now, because this bitterness was not his own but the words must be said, Bilbo ground out the last, "After all of this, then tell me next of the strangers and friends you lost because of one elf. Tell me how his entire race deserves your pettiness as penance for your grief. Tell me your loss is greater than mine, parents lost to their only underage child."

Laughing, dry and pained, Bilbo met the eyes of many pale dwarves.

"Tell me it is only fair. Please, try. As if I could not possibly tire of such hypocrisy, but I am only a hobbit after all. You're only dwarves, they're only elves. Surely we cannot possibly suffer the same. Surely we cannot all _feel_."

**Author's Note:**

> Partial title inspiration from ["Kindness"](http://www.elise.com/q/naomi.htm) by Naomi Shihab Nye. Because it made me cry.


End file.
